In a statement, Sarmiento’s commendation was embodied in a short message during a weekly meeting wherein he also expressed gratitude to all PNP personnel, Uniformed and Non-Uniformed, for their sacrifices in conducting police operations and regular duties while most of the police officers were detailed in the field for the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting last week.

According to reports reaching Sarmiento, the PNP Directorate for Investigative and Detective Management (DIDM) has recorded more than 70 percent decrease in crime trend, or a total of 282 crime incidents in Metro Manila for the past week (Nov. 16-22, 2015) compared with the 919 average weekly incidents before the Oplan Lambat-Sibat was established in June 2014.

Meanwhile, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) also revealed that most of theft cases still happens in shopping centers, prompting PNP Chief Director General Ricardo Marquez to intensify police presence in malls especially now that Christmas season has officially opened.

The anti-criminality campaign of the PNP comes in the wake of the continuing expansion of the DILG-PNP’s Oplan Lambat-Sibat, which is designed to cast a wide net of police vigilance in crime prone areas, as well as engage in focused operations against the country’s most wanted—through deliberate, programmatic and sustained law enforcement operations. (PNA)